“IT’S BEEN TWO HOURS SINCE I ORDERED, WHERE IS MY FOOD”!!!!!!!!!
How often does that statement impact a facilities satisfaction scores? More often than we care to admit.
As a patient, the only control you have is the ability to decide what you want to eat. With healthcare moving towards a “5 star hospitality experience”, hospitals all over the United States have moved to a Room Service style of meal selection. This approach to service, when executed properly, will increase patient satisfaction scores and give patients more control over one aspect of their hospital stay.
While Room Service can be a great satisfier, it can also have the total opposite effect. Typically, Room Service programs promise the patient tray delivery within 45 minutes. If you are not meeting the delivery target time, your department will lose creditability, not only with the patient but the staff and administration that are supporting the program.
It’s not feasible to have your managers and supervisors stationed on the patient units following the host/hostess to monitor delivery compliance. So, what can management do to monitor their Room Service delivery time is being met? Automate your delivery schedules with Real-Time Tray Tracking.
Only Real-Time Tray Tracking provides useful information to ensure delivery schedules are being met. Monitoring all service processes in “Real Time” gives your team the opportunity to prevent service issues when they occur.
“Batch” tracking systems generate reports that reflect what happened “after the fact” and do very little to prevent processes from happening again. When comparing systems/solutions, you need to determine if your focus is solving process issues when they occur or after, risking repeat issues and poor patient satisfaction?
When comparing Real-Time tracking systems to “batch” tracking systems, with meals leaving the kitchen on demand it is important, to know where that tray is, from assembly to delivery. Real-Time Tray Tracking helps management understand obstacles/barriers to immediately, correct these issues regarding tray delivery to ensure patients are receiving their meals within 45 minute as promised.
Real – Time Tray Tracking complements your Room Service Automation to allow:
- Shorten delivery times
- Eliminate service errors and delays
- Ability to address patient calls for late meal deliveries
- Food Safety – Ensure hot foods are hot and cold foods are cold
- Access to reports so, managers can spend less time behind the desk
Eliminate the complaints and be the leader in your facilities patient satisfaction with Room Service and Real-Time Tray Tracking, you’ll be glad you did!
by Tracey Turnquist, Director of Marketing and Sales, Vision Software